VintageSeattle.org

A Paper Noose blog post recently mentioned this Crosscut article on Washington Hall, one of Seattle’s African American landmarks. The article is devastating. It’s looking like the building is likely to be sold and demolished and the land developed into yet more condos. Needless to say, this would be a terrible shame if a historic Seattle landmark like this was lost. Because once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. The building was designed by Victor Voorhees (of Troy Laundry fame) and built in 1908 for the Danish Brotherhood Society. In 1958, the building was bought by The Sons of Haiti and over the years has hosted performances by Jimi Hendrix, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Duke Ellington; speeches from Martin Luther King Jr., W.E.B. Dubois, among others. I want to thank George from The Sons of Haiti for being so kind as to give me a tour of the building. I was not able to photograph the auditorium as there was a community memorial taking place. The Crosscut article serves as a reminder that many of our city’s most important historic landmarks are constantly under threat from development and we need to remember that tearing down these icons that have shaped our culture is something that cannot be undone.

Wide angle shot of Washington Hall. You can find the building on 153 14th Ave.	Front face of the building.
From the front entrance looking up. There are two sets of doors, one leading to a reception hall and another leading to a separate bar area.	South side of the building with fire escape.
Upstairs interior of the building. This area is getting an overhaul and currently houses members of The Sons of Haiti.	North side of the building. Trash is piled up in the parking lot, a reminder of the state of the building.
Alternate view of the North face of the building.	Wide angle shot of the South face of the building.
Southeast corner of the building. The brick on the front of the building is painted over.	A living quarter on the upper-back area of the building. Pigeons have taken up residence in this area of the Hall.

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